✈️【2026 Latest】Honest Review of AirAsia In-Flight Meals! Comparing everything from kid-friendly options to ethnic menus.

Suramatatan! This is Joban Tokkai.

When you board a plane, one of the things you look forward to is the in-flight meal!
It's one of those moments where you can experience a sense of the extraordinary when taking a long-distance flight...

Even on AirAsia, a major LCC based in Malaysia where I live, there is a wide variety of in-flight meal menus available for purchase...
and actually, they're quite delicious...!

From menus with flavors everyone loves to dishes that let you experience an exotic atmosphere, there is a rich selection that allows you to fully enjoy the "journey itself" from the cabin.

Today, I will be eating my way through these AirAsia in-flight meals and providing an honest review!

In this article, I will address:

• I'm using AirAsia to go to Thailand or Malaysia, but are the in-flight meals worth ordering?

• Which menus are easy for children to eat?

• I want to try some exotic menus while I'm at it...!

I will provide answers for those people.
Let's get started!

Mastering the way of AirAsia in-flight meals!

In-flight meals that are actually cheaper than convenience store bento boxes

AirAsia is a major airline based in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and ThailandSoutheast Asian countries.
Even with the recent surge in fuel surcharges, a major appeal is that you can easily fly round-trip between Japan for as low as 30,000 yen during cheap periods.

As for the theme of their in-flight meals, they seem to aim for"the taste you can find at local street stalls,"and they offer a wide menu under the brand nameSantan.

Since it is an LCC, in-flight meals are paid for except for some seats, so an additional fee is required.

The price of these in-flight meals varies quite a bit; for example, it's around 1,000 yen for Peach and around 1,500 yen for Hong Kong Express, showing a large disparity depending on the airline, but...

AirAsia is an airline based in Southeast Asia, where the cost of living is low!
If you buy it at the same time as your flight ticket, you can get it for about 500 yen, or at most 700 yen,so it's actually a better deal than a convenience store bento!

Since these are paid in-flight meals, they are very diligent about maintaining quality to ensure people actually buy them, and my overall impression is that there are no misses on the menu, and the high quality of the taste is a welcome bonus.

As for the portion size, it is just right for those who prefer a standard serving, and for those who prefer a larger portion, the volume is enough that you could eat two items. They aren't that expensive, so if you are traveling with a man or a growing child, it might be fun to order two items and enjoy comparing them!

Here is the In-Flight Meal Menu Preference Barometer!

I have created a taste barometer based on my experience flying AirAsia repeatedly over the past few years.

First, if you are choosing a menu for children, I definitely recommend choosing from the left half of the menu.

"Macaroni & Cheese" has that familiar, safe cheese taste that everyone knows, making it the most recommended menu item if you are traveling with children.

If you want to get a little taste of the local flavor, "Uncle Chin's Chicken Rice" is also recommended. The roasted chicken and the rice, packed with savory goodness, provide a great flavor.

On the other hand, for those who want to feel the local destination from the plane, the bottom right half of the menu is recommended.
In particular, "Biryani" has a rich aroma and is full of exotic charm.
Malaysia's national dish, "Nasi Lemak", has an exquisite contrast between the coconut rice and the spiciness of the sambal sauce, and it is quite ethnically seasoned.

What I compared this time...!

This time, I am reviewing four types from that menu!

• Shrimp and Chicken Wonton Noodles

• Roasted Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce

• Pasta Primavera with Chickpea Falafel

• Bukhara Chicken Biryani

I will be eating these.

The appeal of AirAsia in-flight meals discovered through actual comparison

"Shrimp and Chicken Wonton Noodles," a taste that no one can go wrong with

Price: RM12.90 (Pre-booked price: approx. 500 yen)
First, I will introduce the Shrimp and Chicken Wonton Noodles.
This is a menu item you can choose on Malaysia-based AirAsia.

When we say wonton noodles, we Japanese usually imagine noodles and wontons in a bowl of soup, but in Malaysia, there is also a stir-fried noodle version.

If you peel back the cabbage on the left, the stir-fried noodles appear.

When I take a bite...
It's the taste of oyster sauce that "everyone definitely loves!!"
It's a classic, authentic Chinese flavor.

It's close to what we call "Chinese stir-fried noodles" or "Shanghai stir-fried noodles" in Japan, and it's a different flavor from sauce-based stir-fried noodles.

It doesn't have any peculiar taste, and I think it's a flavor that Japanese people can eat without any problems.

And the wontons.
These are in a separate container, and when you open the lid, you'll find soup and four wontons.

Since Malaysia has a large Chinese population, there are many local shops that serve delicious wontons like this.
I wonder if that taste is replicated...

Wow! The filling is plump, the shrimp flavor is just right, and it's super delicious!!

The soup has a nice, light chicken and salt flavor, which is a perfect balance with the richness of the oyster sauce on the noodles. It's good because it doesn't overpower the natural flavor of the wontons!!

Malaysian Chinese food tends to have a more refined flavor compared to mainland China or Taiwan, and this is a super delicious dish that faithfully reproduces that taste.

There is another delicious way to enjoy these wonton noodles: if you dip the oyster sauce stir-fried noodles into the wonton soup, the balance of flavors for both the noodles and the soup becomes a perfect match.

Once the oyster sauce flavor is infused into the soup, it becomes a delicious dish that you can drink down to the very last drop.

It has no peculiar taste and is not spicy at all, so it's perfect for children and those who don't like spicy food!
If you want to choose a safe and delicious menu item, I highly recommend these wonton noodles.

【Flavor Barometer】
Richness: ★★☆☆☆
Spiciness: ☆☆☆☆☆
Deliciousness: ★★★★☆
Recommended for Kids: ★★★★★
Suitability for Japanese Palates: ★★★★☆

Oh!? Is this surprisingly adult-flavored? The Roast Chicken

Next, I'd like to introduce the "Roast Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce".

Price: RM14.90 (Pre-booked price: approx. 580 yen)

A dish featuring juicy roast chicken served with everyone's favorite potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and black pepper sauce.

With a selection that is sure to delight children, many of you might be thinking, 'Maybe I should order this one...'

I also interpreted this menu as 'they must have prepared this as a dish anyone can eat' and ordered it. But as it turns out...

The chicken comes in a hearty portion, and it looks like it would go perfectly with the potatoes.
I stuck my fork into the firm meat and took my first bite.

Hmm...? It's spicy...!?
Unexpectedly spicy... It's a nice, spicy-delicious flavor...!

I love spicy food.
I always order level 4 spice at CoCo Ichibanya. Even the 'hot' version of Java Curry isn't spicy enough for me.
Back when I lived in Hiroshima, I used to eat at a tsukemen shop where I'd always order the 30x spice level.

Since a guy with a tongue like mine describes it as 'nicely spicy-delicious'...
I think it would generally be classified as quite spicy...!
It's about five times spicier than Saizeriya's spicy chicken.

I was surprised, thinking, 'Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a kids' menu item...!'

Next, I dipped it in the black pepper sauce and tried it.

And then, lo and behold,
the spiciness of the chili peppers fused with the spiciness of the black pepper, creating a slightly different kind of heat,making it spicy and delicious...! Give me a beer!!

At first glance, this menu item looks like a casual dish that even children could eat, but it was actually the spiciest item among those I tried this time.

In Malaysia, there are quite a few restaurants called 'Sizzling' where you eat chicken or beef served on a piping hot iron plate, much like Pepper Lunch. When I think back on it, the sauces at those places are all a bit spicy.

I realized that this dish faithfully reproduces that flavor.

The quality of the meat itself wasn't dry, but juicy.
The potatoes were also full of flavor, perhaps coated in herb salt.
With the hearty chicken and voluminous potatoes, it was quite satisfying even for an adult man, and as someone who loves spicy food, I was very happy with it.

This roast chicken actually doesn't have a chili pepper icon on the menu to indicate spiciness.

I think it's at a 'quite spicy' level, especially for Japanese people, so it might be best for children to avoid it. It's a dish I recommend for adults.

【Flavor Barometer】
Richness: ★★★★☆
Spiciness: ★★★★★
Deliciousness: ★★★★★
Recommended for Kids: ☆☆☆☆☆
Suitability for Japanese Palates: ★★★☆☆

The 'Pasta Primavera,' a light yet substantial vegetarian option

Price: RM12.90 (Pre-booked price: approx. 500 yen)

Next, I will introduce'Pasta Primavera with Chickpea Falafel'.

Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish,a croquette made from chickpea paste that is breaded and deep-fried.
This is served with salted pasta stir-fried with tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, and more.

...Have those of you with a sharp eye noticed? This is avegetarian menu item!

Vegetarian meals often have an image of being quite plain, bland, and unsatisfying.
How does it actually taste?

First, I twirled the pasta and took a bite.
It's a very simple yet well-seasoned oil pasta that you can tell is a flavor anyone would like.

The vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini still have a firm texture and strong flavor, which elevates the simple pasta and makes for a very delicious, well-balanced dish!

The noodles aren't overcooked either; they retain a nice firmness, keeping them right between al dente and the point of getting soggy—a perfect level of firmness. lol
If you don't mind tomatoes and bell peppers, I think this is a dish you can fully enjoy.

And now, the falafel.
I've been to the Middle East twice before and got hooked on the real deal, so I had high expectations, but...

It was a bit underwhelming. lol

Falafel is a delicious food because of the trinity of the crispy crust, the dense interior, and the fluffy texture inside, but honestly, since everything except the density is lost when frozen...
While I thought it couldn't be helped, my honest impression was that the pasta alone might have been enough. lol

Since it's a vegetarian meal, the seasoning is generally light, but it is well-salted, and the density of the falafel adds volume, making it a very filling dish!

【Flavor Meter】
Richness ★★☆☆☆
Spiciness ☆☆☆☆☆
Deliciousness ★★★☆☆
Recommended for Kids ★★☆☆☆
Suited for Japanese Palates ★★☆☆☆

A breeze of India blowing through the cabin... An ethnic and voluminous Biryani

Price RM12.90 (Pre-booked price approx. 500 yen)

The last one I'll introduce is the "Bukhara Chicken Biryani."

It's often misunderstood in Japan, but Biryani is not Indian-style fried rice; it refers to a "pilaf" or rice cooked with spices.

Malaysia has many immigrants from South India, and since they make up a few percent of the population,Indian cuisine is also enjoyed as a local food.It has a decent kick of spice, and there is a chili pepper icon on the menu.

It has a spice flavor similar to so-called ethnic curry, with a slightly spicy chicken curry on the left and a sweet-edged eggplant curry on the right as toppings, making it a dish where you can enjoy three flavor variations even if you eat the biryani alone. How does it taste?

Oh, yes. This is Biryani.
The sensation of complex, intertwined spices passing through my nose, accompanied by a faint, tingling heat.This is what I was looking for.
My body instantly turns into India, and I can see that scene of people dancing in mysterious ways around me...

As for the spiciness... maybe a little spicier than Java Curry's hot version...?
It has a bit of an edgy heat to it, similar to the medium-spicy level at a local Indian curry shop.

Regarding the curry flavor, the chicken curry on the left is exactly the Indian curry taste you'd expect, which won't surprise any Japanese person.
When combined with the biryani, the aroma of the spices becomes even richer and more delicious...

On the other hand, the eggplant curry on the right isn't spicy, but a very sweet curry with a strong sugar kick.
It might be a bit tough for those who don't like sweet things, but...
When you eat it together with the chicken curry and biryani mentioned earlier, the complexity of the flavors and the richness of the spices increase, making for a very satisfying meal...!

It's a dish that is quite satisfying in terms of taste, aroma, and volume, and I recommend it to those who want to enjoy ethnic flavors while on the plane.

Especially for all the fathers out there who often go to Indian curry restaurants for lunch, how about this?

【Taste Barometer】
Richness ★★★★⭐︎
Spiciness ★★★★⭐︎
Deliciousness ★★★★★
Recommended for Kids ★⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎
Suitability for Japanese Palates ★★★⭐︎⭐︎

Don't underestimate LCC in-flight meals.

To describe the four in-flight meals I ate this time in one word each...

■ Wonton Noodles
“A plump texture that exceeds the level of in-flight meals”
■ Roast Chicken
“Spicy & Hearty”
■ Biryani
“Exotic & Authentic Spices”
■ Pasta
“Light & Balanced”

That's about it.

Since they are properly developed as “products,” the taste is of a quality that satisfies not only locals but also Japanese people, and it's great to be able to choose a dish that matches your mood at the time.

By the way, my personal top recommendation is the “Shrimp and Chicken Wonton Noodles”.
Honestly, the quality is higher than the average wonton noodles you can eat in Malaysia, and the plump wontons are exquisite!

It's hard to imagine the taste of in-flight meals from the booking screen, but I hope this serves as a reference to color your memories of your overseas trip!

Have a great trip, everyone!
This was Joban Tokkai. Janparagi!

✈️Currently serializing my “Low Budget ★ RM300” trip, traveling around Malaysia for RM300 (approx. 12,000 yen)! Please use it as a reference for your Malaysia trip! →→